Memorable

As a chef, I can appreciate the heart & soul the entire team poured into the meal on Thursday. From the servers and our sommelier, to the artists in the kitchen, they made it a meal to remember. The creativity of the dishes began with the blending of exotic flavors and fresh ingredients. The plates are works of art. The colors and composition are beautiful. The food itself is spot on and fabulous.
Some people complain the portions are small. The portions are just right (most cases where there is a main protein, I would say the protein serving is about 200g).
You must go at least once. You will remember it fondly.

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385 out of 780 people found this review helpful.

Best Lunch in Manhattan

A well oiled machine of deliciousness. This has become my new favorite venue for lunch in the city. Amazing room with high ceilings and loads of natural light. The staff are knowledgeable, efficient and friendly. The food is sublime, perfect portion sizes, not these over sized gigantic helpings typical of other US establishments - You actually leave the restaurant feeling great and not falling into a food coma. Loads of thought in flavor combinations, beautiful presentation and unexpected experiences without it feeling gimmicky. For me there is no better and I will continue to bring my friends and colleagues to share my weekly luncheon experience at this amazing establishment.

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391 out of 769 people found this review helpful.

As Good As It Gets

I was permanently won over by the barrage of amuse bouches Chef Humm used to send out in the period immediately after his arrival a few years ago. Maintaining that incandescent level would be humanly impossible. Now, I would say it is simply one of the best restaurants in the city, offering food and service of the most satisfying type. As civilized entertainment I rate such meals as equal to or superior to most opera, ballet, theater or movies. My tens are not signs of perfection but signs of an endless creative striving for perfection which is the mark of truly wonderful restaurant experiences. The only slight drawback is a lack of intimacy in the setting, except for the low-ceiling room segment in the back. But that is hardly worth considering unless stereotypical romantic seduction is your objective. Mr. Meyer's restaurants in general are an adornment to the city.

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392 out of 754 people found this review helpful.

Too Many Tables

Daniel Humm is a SUPER nice guy, with a fantastic training background of 6 years at Le Pont de Brent restaurant in Switzerland (supposedly one of the absolute best restaurants bar none in the world).
Unfortunately, my meal here was like $700 for 2 people, and not a single dish was the least bit memorable. I think his problem is he just has too many tables to cook for and too many people in the kitchen to supervise.
I didn't have his duck dish, though, which is supposed to be amazing, so I might go back to try that one. Humm should probably leave and open his own smaller resto where he can give everything his full attention.

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278 out of 569 people found this review helpful.

Tiny Portions Packing Mega-Flavor Experiences - But I Left Hungry

If you're looking to simply satisfy your hunger with some good hearty fare, this restaurant is not for you. Rather, you will experience multiple courses of tiny food samples packing amazing taste sensations. Some of the flavor combinations were simply awesome, and some seemed to be more of an aquired taste. There can be no doubt that this chef understands the fine art and delicate balancing act involved with the pairing of these exquisite ingredients. We stayed from 6pm - 10:30pm and never felt rushed. I'm far from being overweight or a big eater -- but I did hit McDonalds's up for an Angus Burger and large fries on the way back to my hotel because I was still so damned hungry!

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301 out of 595 people found this review helpful.

…And Here’s To You, Mr. Meyer

All things at Eleven Madison Park have been considered, down to the most granular of details, and most of it done before you ever enter the door. To me, there is no such thing as perfect; all things are subjective in the end and that is why I will never reward a ten-star rating. Where a restaurant stops in its pursuit of perfection is what defines it, and that is why, with its seemingly unending quest of completeness, I believe Eleven Madison Park is the finest restaurant in New York City.
Full Review Here: http://tinyurl.com/create.php

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310 out of 614 people found this review helpful.

two tiny flaws, many outstanding virtues.

Food: superb and beautiful. Graceful, perfectly cooked and simply delicious, but had the impt level of playful/whimsy to keep it interesting and new. Worth the hype. I can taste it as I write.
Service: Danny Meyer good -- blended down to our level of informality yet maintained the appropriate demeanor for a serious restaurant. Tiny flaws: twice dishes were attempted to be taken before the table had all finished. Once, an apology; second time, three plates were taken, one person had one bite left, and had to do the awkward quick swallow. Not huge sins. but @$200+++/head with wine, noticeable and worth docking a service point.
Cheeses superb (and even if it wasn't the MdF, the waiter knew his stuff).
Sommelier: friendly, accessible & willing to engage a customer who wanted to learn, which I appreciate.
Great experience, and memorable.

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311 out of 606 people found this review helpful.

Eleven Madison Park flatters only to deceive

Eleven Madison Park is pretense. In such exquisite surroundings, I expected so much. But the service was adequate at best, at times verging on fawning, yet unavailable when you needed it most, like the crosstown bus. Admittedly, the four of us started off badly, going back and forth over red wine that had too much tannin for the ladies, and yet was better than its replacement. But things looked up when we were served the cold corn veloute, which was delicate and subtle, and the Hawaiian prawn roulade, which was wonderful. It was to be a false dawn; the roast suckling pig was an abomination. Pretty enough to the eye, it was served almost raw, was stone cold, and had a strange smell off it and an unpleasant taste. I didn't eat it. And the chocolate dessert tasted ordinary, like day-old, store-bought patisserie. What a disappointment. By then, the attentions of the staff had moved on, and nobody was around to complain to. But by that time I had had enough, except for the five postprandial macaroons I scoffed in anger.
Yes, where it matters most, with entree and dessert, Eleven Madison Park pretends at fine cuisine.

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307 out of 626 people found this review helpful.

Food excellent, timing atrocious

Went there last night, celebrating a birthday and their 4 star rating. All the food was excellent however the timing between courses was utterly atrocious. Initially tried to ignore it and enjoy the meal but eventually it became laughable and we could not sit idly any longer. We had a 7:30 reservation, party of 4, and we were there for 4 hours, until 11:30pm. Really unbelievable. Sometimes it was as much as 20-25 minutes between dishes when it should have been 5. This is counting all 12 small plates that were mixed in. We opted for the Taste of Summer which was there mid level tasting menu for $125. All of the food was very good but by the end it really didn't matter. We were all so over it, we just wanted to eat dinner and go home! Frank Bruni did not get the treatment we got, is he had the restaurant would be closed. Its a shame because the front of house had plentiful staff and were very gracious, I only wish some of them went to go help in the kitchen.

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270 out of 556 people found this review helpful.